Automatic direction control technique for microtunneling machine

In this paper, we propose an automatic direction control technique for a press-in type microtunneling machine. This technology enables an unskilled operator to work with great accuracy. First, we consider a dynamic model of the press-in type tunneling machine. The model describes how the position and posture of the machine change when the inclination of its head is changed. The unknown parameter included in the model is assumed with a Kalman filter. We show the result of applying this technique to a construction of a communication conduit. Moreover, we compare simulations that we used to reproduce the experimental conditions with the construction results. The simulation results showed that the model accurately reproduced the behavior of the machine.